Committee Decisions

31 COM 7A.27

Dresden Elbe Valley (Germany) (C 1156)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-07/31.COM/7A,

2. Recalling Decision 30 COM 7B.77, adopted at its 30th session (Vilnius, 2006), and in particular that the construction project of the Waldschlösschen Bridge would irreversibly damage the values and integrity of the property in accordance with Paragraph 179 (b) of the Operational Guidelines,

3. Notes with satisfaction that extensive consultation took place in 2006 and 2007 between different stakeholders, including the State Party authorities, the Land Sachsen, the city of Dresden as well as international experts, ICOMOS and the World Heritage Centre;

4. Also notes the decision of the City Council of Dresden to immediately halt the bridge project after the receipt of Decision 30 COM 7B.77 as well as the court case between the City of Dresden and the Land Sachsen about this matter;

5. Taking into account the fact that the judicial process has been exhausted, requests the State Party to continue its efforts to find an appropriate solution to protect the outstanding universal value and integrity of the World Heritage property, taking up the alternative proposals discussed at the moderated workshop of May 2007, and others, and to submit these proposals for evaluation by the Advisory Bodies by, at the latest, 1 October 2007;

6. Decides to apply the reinforced monitoring mechanism in monitoring the state of conservation of the property, subject to the procedures in Document WHC-07/31 COM/5.2 and Decision 31 COM 5.2;

7. Also decides to delete the property from the World Heritage List, in conformity with Paragraphs 192-198 of the Operational Guidelines, in the event that the construction of the bridge has an irreversible impact on the outstanding universal value of the property, as discussed at the 30th session (Vilnius, 2006), and further decides, in the event that an alternate proposal is adopted by the State Party, to request the State Party, in consultation with the Advisory Bodies and the World Heritage Centre, to submit a report that examines the impact of such a proposal on the outstanding universal value of the property, for examination by the Committee at its 32nd session in 2008;

8. Decides to retain the Dresden Elbe Valley (Germany) on the List of World